The fall of the “man too powerful”. Will the intelligence chief take over Yermak's role?

The head of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), Kyrylo Budanov, will probably take over the role of Andriy Yermak, who was dismissed on Friday, in negotiations to end the Russian-Ukrainian war, the British weekly Economist wrote on Friday.

The weekly commented on Friday's dismissal of the head of the office (chancery) of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, who was investigated for a corruption scandal at the highest levels of power.

Jermak was supposed to be in Florida on Saturday for talks with the US delegation about Donald Trump's peace plan.

“For years, Andriy Yermak was a man too powerful to fail,” commented the Economist.

“With the weakening of Zelensky's position, no successor to Yermak will have similar power. This will be a blow to the president's political machine.” – added the weekly, emphasizing the falling support for Zelensky in society.

The favorites to become the next head of the president's office include Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and Oksana Markarova.former ambassador to Washington.

Budanov, who is “respected in Western capitals, will probably take over Yermak's role as chief negotiator” in the process to end the war in Ukraine, the weekly added.

According to the magazine, peace negotiations “are unlikely to be suspended to take into account the internal turmoil in Ukraine,” and Russian leader Vladimir Putin “enjoys Ukraine's difficulties while changing his mind about the possibility of concluding a peace agreement.”

On Saturday, Zelensky announced that a Ukrainian delegation, led by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, is on its way to peace talks in the US. (PAP)

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